2026 NHL Entry Draft – Top 10 Goalies – The Hockey Writers –

The 2026 NHL Draft is just over a month away, and with many leagues wrapping up their seasons, scouts have begun digging into this year’s available goalies. At this point, it’s unlikely any netminder goes in the first round like in 2025 with Joshua Ravensbergen and Pyotr Andreyanov, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of talent within the 2026 goalie class.

Based on the final rankings from NHL Central Scouting, here is a look at the top 10 goalie prospects looking to hear their name called on draft day.

10. Douglas Nilsson, Färjestad BK U20 (U20 Nationell)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 5th (Among International Goalies)

Douglas Nilsson was one of Sweden’s most utilized goalies internationally with 15 appearances this season alone, which came in third behind 2027-eligible Kevin Törnblom and 19-year-old Love Härenstam, and has been remarkably consistent against his age group. He claimed a silver medal at the Hlinka Gretzky while posting a .932 save percentage (SV%), then followed it up with a .902 SV% and a bronze medal at the U19 Junior A World Challenge. He demonstrates good technical skills, moving across the crease smoothly and getting quickly into position, and good deflection placement, and as he’s been given a bigger role at home and abroad, he could emerge as one of Sweden’s next big goalies.

9. Jan Larys, Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 5th (Among North American Goalies)

In his first season in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Czech-born Jan Larys established himself as one of the league’s top netminders. In 38 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, his .908 SV% was the 11th-best average in the QMJHL, his 26 wins were the seventh-highest total, and his three shutouts tied for fifth. He was twice named the QMJHL’s Prospect of the Week and joined the Czech national team at the U18 World Junior Championship, where he was the team’s third-string option behind Sklenicka and Psohlavec and didn’t play en route to a bronze medal.

Larys rarely strays outside his crease and knows exactly where to line up when confronting a shooter. He’s very solid technically and has also shown surprising mental toughness for his age, shrugging off bad goals like they didn’t even happen. He’s still pretty raw, but the foundation is there to emerge as a top goalie of the 2026 class.

8. Dmitri Ivchenko, Omskie Yastreby (MHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 4th (Among International Goalies)

Although Russia’s MHL can be incredibly difficult to scout, Dmitri Ivchenko performed well enough to convince Central Scouting to bump him up from eighth to fourth among international goalies. In 19 games, he had a 1.91 GAA, a .922 SV%, and four shutouts while displaying some of the best technical skills of anyone in this year’s goalie class. He sets up quickly, moves smoothly through his crease, and has great reflexes when kicking away or catching pucks. There are concerns about how he responds when he is pushed out of position, as well as the level of competition he’s faced so far, but few goalies have as high an upside as the young Russian.

7. Filip Ruzicka, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 4th (Among North American Goalies)

Goalies don’t come much bigger than Filip Ruzicka. Standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 229 pounds, he doesn’t give shooters a lot of space to shoot, and he’s surprisingly quick for a player his size. He has also been one of the biggest risers of any goalie, jumping up to fourth after being listed 13th on Central Scouting’s Midterm Ranking. While he was solid for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the regular season, he took his game to another level in the playoffs, recording a .936 SV% against an average of 47 shots per game before the Wheat Kings were swept in the first round.

6. David Vermirovksy, HC Dynamo Pardubice U20 (Czechia U20)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 3rd (Among International Goalies)

Like Ruzicka, David Vermirovsky came alive in the playoffs after an ok regular season. After posting a .904 SV% in his first 27 games, he jumped up to a .913 SV% over 13 playoff contests, leading the league in games played and outplaying his teammate Adam Moustafa, who bested him in the regular season. On top of standing 6-foot-5, Vermirovsky tracks the play very well and is always in the right spot to make the initial save. However, like Ivchenko, he also hasn’t been tested as much as some others on this list, making him a bit more of a project. Still, with his technical skills and his size, he has pro potential.

5. Tobias Trejbal, Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 3rd (Among North American Goalies)

Goaltending is primarily a mental game, which is what makes Tobias Trejbal so dominant in the net. After leaving the Czech U20 circuit for the United States Hockey League (USHL), he finished in the top four in games played, wins, SV%, GAA, and shutouts. With him in the crease, the Youngstown Phantoms finished first in the league, and although they were upset in the first round, Trejbal was named the USHL’s Goalie of the Year.

While his skills are near the top of his class, from rebound control to getting on top of the play, Trejbal’s ability to calmly approach each situation and address it with simplicity is unlike anyone else in this class. That’s led some to describe him as having an NHL-calibre mindset, making him a popular option to be the first goalie picked in June.

4. Yegor Rybkin, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 2nd (Among International Goalies)

Standing just one centimetre shorter than Ruzicka, the 6-foot-7 Yegor Rybkin retains the second spot among Central Scouting’s international goalies between the Midterm and Final rankings. He’s highly athletic for a big goalie and uses his size incredibly well in sealing off gaps in his coverage, but he has had an even tougher time earning ice time than Ivchenko, finishing this season with just 11 games played. That’s led to a lack of awareness in certain situations, and he tends to overcommit on the initial shot, but his confidence is admirable and should set him up well to become a top goalie prospect.

3. Michal Orsulak, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 2nd (Among North American Goalies)

Michal Orsulak is yet another big, calm Czech netminder sure to be taken early in the 2026 NHL Draft. Not only did he help Czechia claim a silver medal at the U20 World Juniors in December, but his league-leading three shutouts helped the Prince Albert Raiders return to the Western Hockey League (WHL) Final for the first time since 2019.

Like Trejbal, Orsulak is mentally tough, using his size and reflexes to play a very patient game. He’s still a raw goalie overall, but the second-year-draft-eligible netminder has already taken huge steps in his development over this season. He might just be a bit of a late bloomer.

2. Dmitri Borichev, Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 1st (Among International Goalies)

Although he hasn’t played against a lot of top competition, Dmitri Borichev could be the first goalie off the board in June. The 6-foot-3 Russian has been lights-out in the MHL, posting a .929 SV% over 24 regular-season games, with three of his 12 wins ending in shutouts, then put up a .947 SV% and a 1.85 in two playoff qualifier games that unfortunately ended in losses. He isn’t the most technically sound goalie, but what he lacks in know-how he makes up for with pure competitiveness and reaction time. There’s a reason he’s remained the top international goalie on Central Scouting’s list.

1. Brady Knowling, USNDP

NHL Central Scouting Rank: 1st (Among NA goalies)

Fighting Borichev for first is Brady Knowling, the top North American goalie according to Central Scouting. His numbers admittedly don’t jump off the page, but that might be more a reflection on the team than on him, as Knowling has shown a pro-style game every chance he’s had throughout this season.

Knowling plays a more hybrid style than many of the other goalies on this list. He still covers the bottom of the net very well, but can better use his shoulders and long wingspan to close out the top of the net. He also brings a lot of confidence to the crease and remains composed even when the game starts to get away from him. He’s set to join Boston University next season, where he could break out with a better team in front of him.

2026 Boasts an Underrated Goalie Class

Although there isn’t a big name to follow this year, the 2026 goalie class is good for giant goalies – seven of the top 10 are at least 6-foot-4 – as well as Czech-born goalies, with half of those listed coming from the hockey-mad nation and several more just outside the top group, including Tobias Tvrznik, Marek Sklenicka, Frantisek Poletin, Sebastien Charvat, and Martin Psohlavec. It’s no wonder the Czechs continue to surprise on the international stage.

Overall, this year’s goalies are very balanced. There is a lot of technical skill throughout the class, and the gap between the top-ranked and the 10th-place goalies is smaller than it was last year, giving NHL teams more options to find a solid future netminder. This year’s class is especially